Humidifying apparatus



y 24, 1966 c. LINDBERG HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2, 1964 INVEN OR May 24, 1966 c. LHNDBERG HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1964 2w mm Q 8 R a m @w mm Q 8 i a W I N 3 W18 om 1 mm ww Q E mm No R 5 av #9 E a E Q Tom NQE H X :v \m A x x a M @C M vm w flv J mm u mm XX hm United States Patent 3,252,454 I HUMIDIFYHNG APPARATUS Richard C. Lindberg, 8348 Lincoln Ave, Skolrie, Ill. Filed Dec. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 415,514 3 Claims. (Cl. 126-113) This invention relates to apparatus for improving the humidity within a heated space, and has particular reference to improved apparatus for injecting a high pressure completely atomized spray into the plenum of a hot air furnace, and for removing the mineral content separating from the humidifying water as it changes from a liquid to a gaseous state.

This invention represents an improvement over that shown in Lindberg application Serial No. 339,768, filed January 23, 1964, for Humidifying Apparatus.

In the invention as disclosed herein the atomized water introduced into the furnace plenum is directed against a wet bafile serving to capture the mineral separated from the partly or completely vaporized water. The bafile preferably stands in a reservoir and is formed of material having a certain amount of wicking action, and the water of the reservoir is constantly replenished by atomizing heads directed against the bafiles, the atomizing heads serving to direct liquid against the baflles to wash the mineral therefrom before it becomes too heavily embedded in the bafile.

Since the furnace plenum has substantially no circulation therein, except for convection, when the furnace blower is not working, such washing of the bafiles takes place before the furnace blower commences operation. When the blower starts, and the atomizer continues to operate, the moving currents of air assist in vaporizing the water and the mineral separated is caught on the wet bafile. Preferably the washing of the bafile occurs when the thermostat is calling for heat and before the furnace bonnet reaches temperature to start the blower.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide humidifying apparatus characterized by the atomization of humidifying water within the furnace plenum, and to trap the mineral separating from the humidifying water when it changes its state from a liquid to a gas, to the end that the mineralwill be trapped before it can enter the space to be heated.

Another object is to provide humidifying apparatus of the type where water is injected as a fine spray into the furnace plenum, and to change its state to a gas, and to provide a wet bafile for trapping the mineral separated from the humidifying water as it changes its state.

Still another object is to provide a wick-like bafile adapted to be supplied with water from a reservoir by a wicking action, and to augment the bafiling or trapping of minerals separated from the humidifying liquid by washing the bafile or trapping device prior to the time that the heated space is calling for additional heat.

Still another object is to provide a humidifying apparatus operable to wash a mineral trap or baiile when the heated surface first calls for heat and prior to the time when the blower of the furnace isoperable, so that the baffle or trap for the mineral separated from the humidifying water is conditioned at all times to trap the mineral separated from the humidifying water when the state thereof is changed.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparent from a study of the specification following taken with the drawings which together describe and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof. Other embodiments may be suggested having the benefit of the teachings herein, and such other embodiments are intended to be reserved especially asthey fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

3,252,454 Patented May 24, 1966 FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bafiling structure seen in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a detailed cross sectional view of the apparatus for introducing humidifying water into the furnace plenum, and showing control circuitry therefor.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the improved humidifying apparatus according to the present invention is referred to by reference numeral 10, and is shown in the environment of a warm air heating system comprising a furnace having a heat exchange portion 11, a return or cold air plenum 12, and a hot air or supply plenum 13. Cold air plenum 12 may have a main duct 14 connected thereto which is continuous with a horizontal run 14a thereof. Hot air plenum 13 is connected to a vertical hot air duct 16 connected to a horizontal run 16a thereof.

The precise manner in which the ducts 14, 14a, 16 and 16:: are connected to the furnace shown, and the arrangement of the furnace form no part of the present invention. In the environment shown, the furnace is of a horizontal type, but it equally as well can be of a yertical type, the main cold and hot air ducts 14 and 16 being connected thereto in any convenient fashion. Irrespective of the form of the furnace, main duct 16a is connected to branching supply ducts, not shown, to supply air to a heated space S, and return duct 14a may likewise be connected to cold air returns, not shown, from the heated space S.

The burner portion 11 of the warm air system shown includes a burner 17 connected to a gas supply main 18. Burner 17 is under the control of a thermostat T located in space S, thermostat T being connected by leads 19 and 21 to control a solenoid operated valve 22. As is conventional in such systems, burner 17 may have a pilot light and other safety equipment, but such equipment forms no part of the present invention. It is accordingly not described in detail.

It should be understood that the burner portion 11 may be fueled by other fuels than gas, such as oil and coal.

Cold air or return plenum 12 contains a blower 23 having a pulley 24 connected by a drive belt 26 to a pulley 27 of a blower motor 28. When motor 23 is energized, it moves air in the return ducts 14a and 14 past dust filters 29 located in plenum 14 and across heat exchange surfaces, not shown, of the burner unit 11, and in the hot air plenum 13 and the hot air ducts 16 and 16a leading therefrom. Motor 28 is powered from a pair of main power leads 31 and 32, and the motor 28 is under the control of a limit or bonnet switch 33 connected in lead 32, motor 28 being energized when the temperature in burner unit 11 reaches a proper value.

The description thus far is merely by way of an environment in which the improved humidifying apparatus is adapted to operate.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 the humidifying apparatus includes a series of baffles 34 arranged to stand vertically in a reservoir 36 containing water therein to a level L. Reservoir 36 is mounted in the horizontal run 14a of the cold air plenum 14a, and the baffles 34 are arranged in the zig zag fashion seen in FIG. 3 to receive the atomized spray or the vapor from a series of spray nozzles 37 connected by a short pipe 38 to a supply manifold 39. The level of the liquid within the 3 reservoir 36 is determined by an overflow pipe 41 as seen in FIG. 2.

The nature of the bafliing material of which the baffles 34 are formed is not important to the invention, and it is necessary only that the baflies have a certain amount of wicking action so as to be wetted at all times by the water within the reservoir 34.

The furnace 11 seen in FIG. 1 operates in accordance with the demands for heat in space S, this being controlled by thermostat T therein. Since the burner 17 of the furnace unit 11 ordinarily comes into operation prior to the operation of the blower 23, to bring the bonnet to proper temperature, blower 23 being controlled by bonnet switch 33, it is desirable that the surface of the baffles be additionally wet by the action of the atomizer heads 37 prior to the operation of the apparatus for improving the humidity within the space S.

The humidifier is adapted to be operated when the thermostat T calls for heat both prior to the operation of the blower 23 to condition the baffles 34 with a wet.

surface, and to wash off any mineral which has previously been deposited thereon. This washing of the baflie surfaces takes place when there is no movement of air in plenum 1411, since the blower 23 is not in operation. The washing of the baffle surfaces permits the mineral to flow down into the reservoir 36, in water suspension, to be discharged by overflow pipe 41.

To this end a pair of leads 43 and 44 are connected across the leads 19 and 21 to the thermostat T, leads 43 and 44 being connected to a relay winding 46 having a pair of contacts 47 and 48 connected in leads 49 and 51 connected across the supply leads 31 and 32. Contacts 47 and 48 are connected respectively to leads 52 and 53 to operate the humidifying apparatus 10 during this time when blower 23 is not operating.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 4 of the drawings, humidifier 10 includes an open end vessel 54 having a circular flange 56 at the open end thereof. The open end of vessel 54 is closed by a top hat type diaphragm 57, and the peripheral portions of diaphragm 57 are held to the flange 56 by means of a ring 58 and a plurality of cap screws 59 which are screwed into the flange 56.

The closed end of the vessel 54 is connected to the atomizing head 37 by means of a conduit 61 connected between the vessel 54 and the manifold 39 supplying the atomizing heads 37. A spring biased valve 62 is placed in the line 61 between the vessel 54 and the atomizing heads 37, and includes a seat 63 which is closed by a tapered valve member 64 urged against seat 63 by a spring 66 bottomed at one end against the tapered valve member 64, and at the other end against the abutment member 67 within the pressure line 61. The valve 62 is adapted to open from the pressure in the vessel 54 under conditions as will be described, and is set to open at a pressure in excess of the pressure at a supply main 68 connected to the closed end of the vessel 54, there being a check valve 69 in the line 68 which permits flow from the main 68, but no return movement of the water in vessel 54 to the main 68.

Structure is provided for moving the top hat diaphragm 57 under a force which will give a resultant pressure within the vessel 54, the diaphragm 57 having at the same time a large amount of movement so as to move water from the vessel 54 which has been conveyed thereto by supply main 68. Under such conditions a fine mist will be delivered by atomizing heads 37 within the return air plenum 14a. The top hat diaphragm 57 is accordingly moved by an actuating rod 69 connected at one end to spaced discs 71 and 72 holding diaphragm 57 therebetween, discs 71 and 72 being held in place to the rod by a holding nut 73. The other end of the rod 69 has a rack portion 74, and the rod 69 is adapted to be driven in a direction to force water from the vessel 54 and out the atomizing heads 37. The rack 74 accord- .ingly meshes with a pinion 76 of a gear reduction train comprising a shaft 77 upon which the pinion 76 is mounted, a pair of reduction gears 78 and 79, the larger reduction gear'78 being fast on shaft 77, and the smaller reduction gear 79 being fast on a shaft 81 of a drive motor 82. A circuit is provided for energizing drive motor 82' to move the actuating rod 69 to the right to move water under pressure from vessel 54. The motor 82 is adapted to be energized only under conditions when the thermostat T, see FIG. 1, is calling for heat in space S, irrespective of whether the blower 23 is operating within the plenum 12. The operation of the motor 82 is also independent of the operation of the humidistat H in space S, and motor operates at all times when the thermostat T is calling for heat even though the blower motor 27 is deenergized.

Consider now a condition where the actuating rod 69 for diaphragm 57 is in a start position against the abutment 83. Under such condition the pressure in main 68 will cause the vessel 54 to be filled, the check valve 69 opening during such filling operation.

When the actuating rod 69 is in left-most position, a switch actuating member 84 carried by the actuating rod 69 closes a pair of switch contacts 86 and 87. The switch contact 87 is connected to a lead 88 to a contact 89 of a normally closed pair of contacts 89 and 91, contact 91 being connected to the lead 52 which in turn is connected through the contact 48 of now energized relay 46 to the main supply lead 32, relay 46 being energized by thermostat T when the space S is calling for heat.

Under the aforesaid condition of the contacts 86 and 87, these being closed, a circuit is made therethrough including a lead 92 connected to a relay winding 93, the other end of the relay winding 93 being connected to the other control lead 53 from contact 46 at relay 46. The energization of winding 93 causes a holding contact 94 associated therewith to close, and a circuit is made through contact 94, including the lead 52, closed contacts 89 and 91 and. a lead 96 branching from the lead 88, closed contact 94 and lead 97 to the motor 82 and a lead 98 therefrom to the other lead 53.

As the motor 82 operates, the actuatingrod 69 will be moved to the right to exert pressure on diaphragm 57, and in turn supply finely atomized water at the atomizing head 37 to the return plenum 14a at the screen elements 34. As the switch actuating member 84 moves with the actuating rod 69 to the right, contacts 86 and 87 open, but the circuit through relay Winding 93 is maintained by holding contact 94 previously described. Motor 82 continues to operate until the switch actuating member 84 opens the contacts 89 and 91, thus de-energizing the relay winding 93.

If the thermostat T is continuing to call for heat, although the blower motor 28 is not yet operating, the cycle just described will be continued, and the pressure in main 68 will move the diaphragm 57 and the actuating rod 69 back to the start position previously described to close the contacts 86 and 87 as before. In such return of the actuating rod 69 to the start position against abutment 83 motor 82 is back-driven through the gear train shown. If desired, a one-way clutch may be disposed on shaft 81 to make unnecessary the back driving of mot-or 82 yet permitting of back driving of the gears 76, 78 and 79.

The aforedescribed operation conditions the baffles 34 in the plenum 14a by the atomized spray from the nozzles 37 to wash the mineral therefrom. There being no air moving in the plenum 14a, the tendency of state change of the humidifying water is lessened, and the water impinges against baffles 34. However, consider now the situation obtaining when the furnace bonnet switch 33 is closed to start the blower motor 28 causing air to flow in the plenum 14a. The circuit conditions obtaining at that time will be described, but it may now be noted that the wet bafl les 34 are in a moving air stream with a consequent evaporative effect thereon. As will be shown,

the humidifier also operates at that time, and not only is the evaporative effect of the bafiles present, but there is also the action of the atomizing nozzles 37 to introduce humidifying Water going through a state change immediately. Such state change, as has been described, results in the mineral content of the water being released therefrom, the mineral being captured on the bafiles 34.

Consider now the situation where the thermostat T continues to call for heat, and where a humidistat H in space S is not satisfied. Consider the situation where the bonnet switch 33 is closed when furnace unit 11 is up to temperature. Under this condition, power will be supplied to humidifier 10 and blower motor 28, the circuit including main power lead 32, bonnet switch 33, blower motor 28 and main power lead 33. The two main power leads 31 and 32 have leads 34 and 36 connected in parallel therewith, the humidistat H being connected in lead 36. Humidistat H has switching mechanism therein, not shown, which is closed when it is unsatisfied. Leads 34 and 36 are connected to leads 52 and 53 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 for the control of the humidifier unit 10.

If the blower 23 is continuing its operation, and if the humidistat H is continuing its demand for additional humidity, the cycle described for humidifier 10 with respect to the demand of thermostat T will be continued, and the pressure in main 68 will move the diaphragm 57 and the actuating rod 69 back to the start position previously described to close the contacts 86 and 87 as before. In such return of the actuating rod 69 to the start position against abutment 83 motor 82 is back-driven through the gear train shown or through the one-way clutch 80 previously described.

On the other hand, if blower 23 is operating, and if humidistat H is satisfied, the cycle will not be repeated. Also, if bonnet switch 33 at the furnace unit 11 is opened and the blower motor 28 is no longer operating, the circuit described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4 will not be energized, but the pressure at line 68 will return the top-hat diaphragm 57 and the actuating rod 68 to the dotted line position shown, ready to start another sequence of operations.

From the description fore-going it is believed evident that there has been described some new and useful improvements in devices for improving the humidity in a heated space. By the structure shown, there is provided two-fold humidifying, one being by the Wicking and evaporating effects of the bafiles, and the other being by the .atom-izing of the humidifying water in the plenum. Moreover, by the structure shown, the dissolved mineral sep- .arated out by the change of state of the humidifying water is effectively trapped at the baffles, and subsequently washed therefrom, to leave at the reservoir overflow.

Having thus described this invention in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, and having set forth the best mode contemplated of carrying out this invention, the subject matter regarded as being patentable is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in what is claimed, it being understood that equivalents or modifications 'of, or substitutions for, parts of the above specifically described embodiment may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in what is claimed.

I claim:

1. In a warm air space heating system including a burner and a furnace having supply and return plenums and a motor driven blower arranged to circulate air in said plenums in accordance with a demand on said burner, a heat demand device in a space heated by said system for controlling said burner, control means for delaying the operation of said blower until said furnace has reached a predetermined temperature, :at least one baffle located in one of said plenums, an atomizer positioned to direct a fine spray of water against said bafile when said heat demand device is calling for heat and before said motor driven blower is energized to wash mineral deposits from said baffie when the blower is not operating, means controlled by said heat demand device for causing water to be directed against said baflle, and means operable when said motor driven blower is operated for continuing the operation of said atomizer whereby when air is moving in said plenums the water delivered by said atomizer is changed to gaseous state and the mineral separated therefrom by such state change is deposited E011 said bafile.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said baffle has a wicking action and is supplied with water from a reservoir.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said baflle stands in a reservoir of water and wherein the water sprayed against said bafiie is returned to said reservoir and the mineral content thereof leaves said reservoir by an overflow therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner McDuffie 126l13 JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. I 

1. IN A WARM AIR SPACE HEATING INCLUDING A BURNER AND A FURNACE HAVING SUPPLY AND RETURN PLENUMS AND A MOTOR DRIVEN BLOWER ARRANGED TO CIRCULATE AIR IN SAID PLENUMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH A DEMAND ON SAID BURNER, A HEAT DEMAND DEVICE IN A SPACE HEATED BY SAID SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING SAID BURNER, CONTROL MEANS FOR DELAYING THE OPERATION OF SAID BLOWER UNTIL SAID FURNACE HAS REACHED A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE, AT LEAST ONE BAFFLE LOCATED IN ONE OF SAID PLENUMS, AN ATOMIZER POSITIONED TO DIRECT A FINE SPRAY OF WATER AGAINST SAID BAFFLE WHEN SAID HEAT DEMAND DEVICE IS CALLING FOR HEAT AND BEFORE SAID MOTOR DRIVEN BLOWER IS ENERGIZED TO WASH MINERAL DEPOSITS FROM SAID BAFFLE WHEN THE BLOWER IS NOT OPERATING, MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID HEAT DEMAND DEVICE FOR CAUSING WATER TO BE DIRECTED AGAINST SAID BAFFLE, AND MEANS OPERABLE WHEN SAID MOTOR DRIVEN BLOWER IS OPERATED FOR CONTINUING THE OPERATION OF SAID ATOMIZER WHEREBY WHEN AIR IS MOVING IN SAID PLENUMS THE WATER DELIVERED BY SAID ATOMIZER IS CHANGED TO GASEOUS STATE AND THE MINERAL SEPARATED THEREFROM BY SUCH STAGE CHANGE IS DEPOSITED ON SAID BAFFLE. 